280 THE FARTHER NORTH THE BEST SEEDS? [Feb. 



portion of 100: 177, and their respective lengths were as 100: 

 223. In 48 hours more the German roots had increased to 498, 

 and the Swedish ones to 536, the weights standing at 9241 

 millimetres and 11,926 millimetres respectively. At this stage 

 the germ commenced to develop itself, when the inferiority of the 

 German seeds was manifested, out of 100 of which only 28 had 

 sprouted, in opposition to 51 of the Swedish seeds. The total 

 length of the germs or growths in the German seeds was 76 

 millimetres, while that of the Swedish was 18'4 millimetres. 

 According to Professor Haberlandt, on comparing the weight of the 

 rind to the core, that of a sample from Christiausand, in Norway, 

 was 22 '78 per cent, of the total weight of the seed, in opposition 

 to 2 7" 15 per cent., the average of fourteen samples of oats from 

 different countries. From four samples of Swedish oats, Herr Nobbe 

 obtained the respective figures of 24'5, 26'7, 31'9, and 32'6 per 

 cent. 



The following table gives the results obtained at the station for 

 the control of seeds at Christianstadt, district of Scania, Sweden, 

 during the four years it has been in operation. A great number 

 of the samples submitted for trial were from the harvest of 1881, 

 a harvest relatively unequal, and grown under unfavourable conditions 

 of temperature : — 



Wheat, 



Eye, 



Barley, 



Oats, 



Peas, 



At this station the weight of the rind in nineteen different kinds 

 'of oats from the province of Christianstadt — Scania — was investi- 

 gated in 1881. The medium weight was found to be 2 5 '8 2 per 

 ■cent. Of the total weight of the seeds, the maximum was 2 8 '8 5 

 per cent., and the minimum 2 3 '8 3 per cent. In this comparison, let 

 it be remembered that in oats, the weight of the rind is sometimes 

 half that of the total weight of the seed. 



The above remarks may also be applied to seeds of nearly all 

 the fir and pine tribe, as well as of vegetables and ornamental 

 flowering plants from these northern latitudes. Swedish pine seed 

 appears to be e.xceUed in thickness and absolute weight by that 

 of more southern regions, but according to the two Professors 

 already quoted, its germinative power is frequently 95 per cent., 

 or even higher, and is free from fungoid spores. German seed, 

 whose germinative power is from 30 to 40 per cent., is much 



